Agriculture's Internet plan would create online services for farmers

The Agriculture Department and Congress plan to roll out a communications infrastructure to let farmers communicate with USDA via the Internet, USDA's chief information officer said recently.

'We're working together so we can fully implement the Freedom to E-File Act,'' said Anne F. Thomson Reed, referring to a House bill that would require the department to set up interactive online services for farmers.

The department would be required to provide the electronic filing services within 180 days of enactment. USDA officials have said the department cannot meet that deadline.

The department recently answered questions from the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee on what it would take to implement online services. USDA is waiting for a response from the committee, Reed said.